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Hey everyone! Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Leader Show with Lou Carter. Our guest today is Candice Lu from Qvest, formerly OnPrem Solution Partners. In this episode, we will take a look at Qvest’s work culture and how it became a certified Most Loved Workplace®.
Now, without further ado, let’s get straight to business.
Louis kicks off the conversation by asking Candice to introduce her company, Qvest (formerly known as OnPrem Solutions), and how she created it. Candice has a background in media and entertainment and transitioned to consulting through OnPrem, which does technology and business consulting for media and entertainment companies.
She also notes that OnPrem was acquired in 2020, and they have offices in New York, Los Angeles, and Austin. The company’s prime focus is to help people solve problems in the industry.
Next, Louis asks Candice about the culture at Qvest and how it manifests. Candice highlights that the company culture is all about retaining smart people by offering support, and getting to know each other as individuals with different interests.
She also notes that the company wants people to connect and be friends, as this creates a sense of accountability among colleagues. By treating people as people, Qvest has been able to create a culture that extends beyond the company, with former employees becoming clients and hiring their erstwhile employer for their services.
The founder further mentions that this approach has resulted in a network of alums who continue to keep in touch with and mentor each other, even if they move on to other industries. According to her, it is called “karmic leadership,” where doing the right thing leads to positive outcomes in the future.
Louis agrees and notes that relationships and the human aspect are crucial to success when it comes to consulting.
Next, Lou asks Candice to share her experience with her mentor, particularly the first moment they met and how their communication developed. Candice highlights that her mentor was actually one of her co-founders, and she initially felt intimidated by him but was grateful that he took the time to talk to her and give her feedback.
He would always be present in her meetings and see her progress, and he started to encourage her to speak up and share her ideas. Candice believes that being open to vulnerability and receptive to feedback was key in their mentor-mentee relationship, and it was instrumental in her growth.
Additionally, she explains how beneficial it is for organizations to approach mentees, as she believes that it has a huge impact on the team’s growth. According to her, mentors need to focus on their team to develop them to the point where they can be leveraged to grow the company.
In the consulting industry, people may feel the need to beat their peers, but leaders need to realize that they are only as strong as their team. Treating people the right way leads to retention, stronger performance, and an overall better output for the company.
Candice firmly believes that employees need to be receptive to feedback and mentorship in order to succeed. Even if someone isn’t officially assigned a mentor, they can still receive feedback and mentorship through continuous conversations with their peers, managers, and colleagues.
She also emphasizes the importance of creating a culture where people feel comfortable being themselves and can rely on each other for support. According to her, mentorship should be built into the experience of working at a company rather than being something that people have to seek out on their own.
After that, the founder of Qvest discusses the various programs and events that Qvest has in place to bring colleagues together and create a culture of openness and feedback. She talks about their week-long boot camp for new hires straight out of college, which is designed to help them get to know each other and the company, and their ongoing training and development programs.
On that note, Candice emphasizes the importance of likability in their hiring process and its role in creating a culture where people want to collaborate and help each other succeed.
Speaking of culture, Lu shares a story about how during the COVID pandemic, her employees volunteered to take furloughs or pay cuts to help their colleagues who were struggling. This act of sacrifice showed a strong sense of trust and love within the company’s culture.
Candice believes that when people care about each other, they are willing to make sacrifices for each other. Additionally, she discusses the importance of creating a culture of trust and respect and how her company fosters that through events and training programs.
Lastly, Lu expresses her gratitude for her team and acknowledges that they are not perfect, but they trust each other’s intent and work towards improving together.
Thank you for listening!
